


Photograph

by FandomSprout69



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Initial Jean/Eren, M/M, Oblivious Eren Yeager, Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-05-15 08:40:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14787158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomSprout69/pseuds/FandomSprout69
Summary: When you yearn for something you can never truly have, it can be painful to accept. Photographs allow us to cherish the memories of those we care for. To see into the window of another's life.A picture is worth a thousand words.Levi only needed one: Eren





	1. Follow

**Author's Note:**

> Got the idea for this little bit from J Cole's song Photograph. So listen to the song if you want to get into my mind space for this piece. Please enjoy!

"Once you learn to care, you can record images with your mind or on film. There is no difference between the two.”  
— Anonymous

A lot could be said about what a person can see. An image that’s presented to one could have an entirely new effect on another. The gentle breeze wafted through the tiny crack in Levi’s ajar window. Wind subtly swept his bangs with its relaxing coolness, even though the outside temperature was slowly increasing as the months grew closer to warmer summer nights. He sat at his dining table with his gray eyes glued to his phone. With his steady breaths and casual swipes of his thumb against the lit screen, it seemed he was only checking through his messages he would of -most likely- ignored from the past day. The light from his mobile device shown bright in the dimly lit apartment, bringing its contents into a deep focus he could not pull himself from. Even if he wanted to. 

Levi was never the kind to get caught up in the growing trends of the days youth. His mother said he had an old soul for a boy his age, making him much like his grandfather. His younger sister Isabelle was more like his crazy friend from grade school. Always up to no good and dragging him along for the ride. She was so intent on showing him funny memes or videos she would laugh at for hours on end. It was his mother’s own sense of overprotectiveness that pushed him to watch over her habits when their mother wasn’t around to. As the oldest of his mother’s offspring it was his duty to keep on eye on his baby sister and make sure she didn’t get into too much trouble -as he would often have to pull her out of and then treat her to her favorite ice cream parlor after laying into her how stupid she was.  
So one could call it fate or a reward for being a good big brother when Isabelle had left her phone unlocked on the table of their usual booth at the parlor when she left in a rush to use the bathroom. He’d only noticed after ordering them a chocolate sundae to split -that Isabelle would eat most of. She had left the app open and Levi recognized it as the one Belle had attached her soul to with the promise of “endless pictures of cute animals doing the most adorable things”. What caught his attention was the phone dinging in notification of an account being updated. @GermanGem was the most pretentious name he had seen in a while. Something about the name and its more than annoying tagline caused the man to click on the notification panel. The smartphone laid there with the instagram page of an attractive boy staring back at him. His first acknowledgement was the alluring stare the boy gave the camera making seem he was gaze was focused on only Levi. It didn’t help he had eyes that urged the man closer, almost having himself forgetting he was staring at a screen. The next thing he noticed was the over one million users following the young boy’s account. His eyes jerked up to the sound of an overly dramatic cough from a cheeky looking red head. 

“Are you peeking, bro?” She asked in the most sing-songy way she could muster. 

He rolled his eyes with just as much exaggeration. His low voice didn't faze her in the slightest when he responded, “You'd better hurry your ass up before I eat all this by myself.” Grabbing the spoon and scooping a generous amount into his mouth to emphasize his threat. That seemed to do the trick as his sister quickly took her seat opposite him and yelped an over-the-top no! Then proceeding to take over the shared dessert. 

Luckily, his crisis had been averted. But it only continued to grow as the images of the young brunette burned into his mind. If Isabelle knew how much this boy affected her brother, he would half to disappear into hiding to avoid her insistent taunting.

So Levi found himself at this moment. Hunched over on his couch hours later downloading that app to create an account. To follow the only person that had managed to catch his eye in such a way. Once he found the reason for his uncharacteristic nature, he discovered the boy's bio. Short and sweet to the point: 

Eren. 

It was just his name. Or what Levi could only assume his name was. He found himself liking it either way. To him, this face had a name that fit him perfectly. Scrolling through the boy's account seemed to be the only task on his mind. The pictures he had taken of mostly himself -with a few of them featuring who could only obviously be his friends- ranged from innocent, fun selfies to the alluring, model-esque photos taken by a amateur professional. The boy updated his photo-log regularly: about 2 or 3 pictures every few days or so. 

It had been a week since he first laid eyes on the digital image of his heart’s desire. A week’s worth of notifications that had his phone vibrating often to let him know when a new image can be saved to his growing folder in his phone. A week or so of the well put together man finding himself unraveled by those eager eyes seemingly gazing back at him as he released his pent up stress at the end of those long days.  
Levi often found his mind wandering from his work to fantasize about tan fingers working their magic on his tense shoulders. Soft lips edging their way across his neck, down his throat to his chest as he forced himself to calm down before someone walked into his office and assumed him to be getting more out of his work than he should. As difficult as it got sometimes, he reminded himself to wait.

Wait till this meeting was over.

Wait for his paperwork to be completed. 

Wait till the next stop light. 

Wait for his entire body to be inside his empty house. 

Then Eren can be all to himself.


	2. Like

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story starts off with Jean/Eren but it'll eventually lead into Levi/Eren. This is just the set-up. Sorry if you're not a fan of this pairing but it feeds into the story I have in mind.

K.O.D. by J. Cole

“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.”

— Ansel Adams

 

This had to be about the hundredth time he’s considered turning off the comment section of his posts. Most of the time they were filled with slick comments from clearly over-aged perverts making his passion for photography all about their kinks. It would fill his head with rage and defined disgust until he’d see a note of admiration that would make even his toughest of days a little better. These were the reasons his DMs were blocked. These were the reasons he had such a strict rule about about what he put on his account. This was why he was so protective about his phone. This was the reason he was about to strangle his boyfriend if his phone wasn’t returned promptly.

“Jean, you ass, give it back!” Eren yelled as the reached over the other to retrieve the device. Unfortunately, Jean was just tall enough to outreach Eren even on his couch. He was half a foot taller, so his antics could carry on without fail. An all too familiar, playful smirk aimed right back at the annoyed brunette. Jean used his other hand to hold his boyfriend at bay while he unceremoniously swiped t the gallery of potential posts. 

“I’ve never seen anyone with this many pictures of themselves! Are you sure you’re not a narcissist Jaeger?” His voice was laced with that teasing tone he was so used to using whenever he was attempting to get a rise out of his insta-famous boyfriend. It seemed to only irritate Eren more, loving the look his jesting gave the man. Tan face tinted red to the tips of his ears as he tried to look serious but it was clearly failing.

“You’re gonna have a broken hand if you don’t give me my phone, jackass.”

“I’m only pokin’ fun babe. I don’t see why you don’t post more of these kinds of pics. We all know you got a bod worth showing off.” Jean turned the phone to cerulean eyes that widened at the notion. He was wearing a particularly skimpy outfit - that he had gotten to surprise Jean with for his birthday earlier that year- in a not-so-sfw pose to boot. Laid out on his bed with a sure gaze that promised what was to come with his legs slightly spread and a finger on his lips. He was like a well-wrapped gift. Probably should’ve worn a bow in his hair to pull it all together. 

He took that moment to finally snatch the phone from the jock’s grasp and held it to his own chest as though to keep it safe from other peering eyes. Clearly appalled at the suggestion, Eren’s face shifted from shock to anger before snapping at his idiot.

“It’s not for anyone else. You’d think my own boyfriend would want it that way.”

“Gotta let em’ know there’s only one man man-enough to be able to tame that ass of yours.”

The teasing gradually defaulted to their usual argument.

Jean was quick to take ownership of something. And quicker to show all that what he had was better than others. There was something about his boldness that first drew the young model to the charming football star. His looks were nothing to sneeze at either. Jean knew he was a catch. Eren was more than happy to be his arm-candy arm candy from time to time. He just wished their relationship didn’t stem from heated arguments to heated makeout sessions.

Eren had eventually had enough of their back and forth and stood from the couch to make his way to the kitchen to get some alone time. He was stopped in his tracks by a pair of well-toned arms capturing his waist. The thought to elbow his source of irritation passed through his mind before he felt the faint pressing of lips on his neck. Green eyes rolled to look away from Jean as he began to speak.

“Come on babe, I was just teasin’. You know you’re all mine…”

It always went this way. They would be all in each other’s space one moment, then annoyed or at each other's throats the next. Then back to sucking faces to messily lay the cherry on their half-baked cake. Firm on the outside, with icing haphazardly spread just evenly enough to be presentable. With an inside so mushy and undercooked it’s a miracle the dessert doesn’t fall flat until you cut too deep in the middle.

It wasn’t easy to suppress the small blush on his cheeks. Those strong arms still held on securely as they turned him around to face the smug bastard. He knew he’d won -again - when those pouting eyes met his own. Jean could just barely keep the chuckle from leaving his lips. He pulled Eren’s body closer to his, hands firmly placed on his shapely waist.

“What’s with that look, huh?”

When Eren didn’t answer, he gave him a quick, equally firm, pat on his ass. The little sound of surprise Eren made with his face looking like that turned a switch in Jean’s head. His eye clouded over with want. Jean’s voice was lower and laced with excitement when he spoke next.

“Huh? You gonna answer me? Or am I gonna have to force it from ya’?”

It seemed to flow into Eren as well. His face still pouty when he reached to wrap his arms around his boyfriend’s neck, pulling him down so their foreheads touched. They looked into each other like that for a moment before their lips met. Slow movements gradually picking up the pace when hands started to roam. Finding their way back to the couch, Eren found himself straddled on top of Jean when eager hands found their way up his nightshirt. This earned the man below him hips that began to slowly grind into his in search of the friction they both were in desperate need of. The brunette found himself smirking at what he knew was about to come.

It took a good second for him to react to his surroundings. Jean was only half coherent when noticed the lack of weight that had just been there. Hair tousled, lips parted open with his sweats uncomfortably tighter than they were before. He looked to the culprit who was making his way towards the kitchen. The exaggerated sway of his hips easily pulling attention to the roundness that formed out the light blue shorts. Eren turned his head to look back to the confused man laying on the couch with innocent eyes.

“If you were thirsty you could’ve just said so.”

Then he slipped into the kitchen, leaving Jean to mourn over his familiar punishment of blue balls.

Eren was well equipped to show this asshole just how much he could be a jerk too.


	3. Invested

“In photography, there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”  
— Alfred Stieglitz

The morning came through the window shades onto the bare, tan skin of the young brunette. 

Thick lashes fluttered open with a groan as he looked around the room to get his eyes acclimated to the assaulting early sun. Eren pushed himself up from the comfort of his bed and stretched. As the fogginess of his morning dissipated his tired gaze found the empty spot next to him. Jean, being the go-getter he is- was always up and out early to workout. Had to keep that football scholarship body in top condition. It left Eren finding himself left alone many mornings to rise from his slumber alone. A deep sigh passed his lips before he threw his legs over the bed to start his own day. 

After a quick shower and breakfast, Eren spent the past 30 minutes looking for his favorite book he liked to read on his bus commute to his classes. It wasn’t with the few loose papers on the living room coffee table. Nowhere around the kitchen. Not even with the other books they had in the small bookshelf next to the front door. He had already torn apart his closet, clothes were strewn across the floor in front of his bed, shoes, missing their partners; it was a lot. It was starting to become a clear representation of his mind racing. He could feel the strain of his eyes before the tears clouded his vision. 

He had to find the book. 

It was in his bag he swore. 

There was no way it could've been anywhere else.  
Eren could feel the air in his lungs burn his throat as he refused to breathe evenly. His breath hitched when he felt the familiar smooth cover under his fingers. The heavy winter coat was quickly ripped from the corner of the closet. A solid dark blue cover bore back at him. Reaching for it as if it would suddenly disappear once again, Eren held it close to his chest as he mentally fist pumped over his victory. He pulled back to flip over to the binding to read over the title: “Ducks”.  
It was a short, silly name for a book meant for grown-ups. Maybe that was what drew his mom to get it for him. She would always remind him of what a funny boy he was back then. Even now she loved to tease him over how excited he got whenever he talked about his photos during his visits. He’d always cherished the way his mother would smile at him from her bed whenever he entered her room.  
The sudden vibration of his pant’s pocket jerked him from his thoughts. Eren reached for his phone with a groan as he figured who it might be. 

“Hello…?”

He could feel the blood rush from his face as he was reminded of what time it was. With a new found vigor, he stuffed the book into its place in his bag before dashing out of his home. 

He was late. 

Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Sorry for the long wait and subsequent short chapter. Life and work have just taken me over as of late. But I am here now! Thank you all for your kind words and reminders to update I haven't forgotten you! I plan to update on a fairly more regulated schedule but no set dates as of now. So please be patient with me. I wanna tank you all for being patient with me. I hope you enjoy and stay tuned for more!
> 
> Buy me a coffee! http://ko-fi.com/jen474

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is my first one-shot and I wasn't sure how to make it a little longer without it sounding off. I don't know if I want to make this a story or keep it a one-shot. If I get enough people requesting a story then I'll see what I can do.


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